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Friday, August 19, 2011

School Supply Cake Tutorial

I've had so many questions and e-mails regarding the school supply cake I made for Georgia Anne's teacher that I decided a tutorial was in order so you can make one yourself!

Back-to-school is the best time to purchase the supplies since you can get really good deals on most of the items needed. I purchased all of the items I used in this cake at my local Wal-Mart. I'm not sure if the prices were sale prices or regular prices, but I made this one for about $23.00 (that includes all the supplies needed except hot glue gun, glue sticks and rubber cement which I already had on hand). The crayons were .19 each, glue was .34 each, 2-pack of glue sticks were .40 each, and the spiral notebooks were .20 each. So you can see the basic supplies are not that expensive. The ribbon is what I spent the most on and this is where you could save money if you already have some on hand.

Supplies Needed:

(1) Roll of Paper Towels

(1) 10" diameter cardboard circle (I used a cake base)

(1) 12"x12" piece of scrapbook paper

(5) large rubber bands

(7) 24 count Crayons

(6) 1-Subject Spiral Bound Notebooks

(10) Bottles School Glue

(20) Small Glue Sticks

(3) Gerber Daisey Silk Flowers

(24) No.2 Pencils

(1) Small Pencil Holder or cup with straight sides (see the instructions for an free alternative)

Ribbon of Varying Widths and Colors

Packing, Duck or Masking Tape

Hot Glue Gun

Hot Glue Sticks

Rubber Cement

**Note: The size of your paper towel roll and pencil holder could alter the number of supplies needed.

1.) Cut your 10" circle from a thick piece of cardboard. You can also use a cake base, which is what I did.

2.) Trace around the circle on your scrapbook paper and cut out.

3.) Glue paper to cardboard circle with rubber cement. Set aside.

4.) Start with your paper towel roll and place one of the spiral bound notebooks and one rubber band around it to hold it in place.

5.) Next, place the spiral bound notebooks behind the rubber band one notebook at a time. Overlap them as you go until you reach the starting point. Once you have them in place you can adjust the spacing.

6.) Add one more rubber band to the notebooks.

7.) To secure the notebooks better, tie a piece of ribbon tightly around the notebooks (This ribbon will not show when the cake is completed so you can use whatever you have on hand).

8.) Starting at the base place a pack of crayons and a rubber band around the notebook/paper towel center.

9.) Begin adding packs of crayons one at a time until reaching the starting point.

10.) Place a glue stick between each pack of crayons.

11.) Using the tops of the crayon boxes as your base, place a bottle of glue and a rubber band around the notebook/paper towel center.

12.) Add one bottle of glue at a time until you reach the starting point.

13.) Now at this point if you have a cup or pencil holder you will need it for this next step. I didn't want to have to purchase one so I'll share with you what I used instead. I found spare bolt of fabric in my closet and used the cardboard center roll to make my own pencil holder. Free is always better than spending more money!

14.) I used the glue sticks to determine the length of the roll. I then cut it slightly smaller than the height of the glue sticks. 15.) Next I traced around a scrap piece of cardboard to make the base for the pencil holder.

16.) Cut the circle out and secure it to the roll using your glue gun.

17.) Start with a glue stick and secure it with a rubber band to the pencil holder (I actually doubled the rubber band here so it would be more secure).

18.) Continue with the glue sticks until the pencil holder is covered.

19.) Take the pencil holder/glue stick section and secure it to the top of the paper towel roll. (I used hot glue because I was afraid it would not be as secure with tape.)

20.) Roll pieces of tape and place on the top of the cardboard circle. (It's hard to see mine since it was clear.)

21.) Place the supply cake body on the cardboard base.
22.) Starting at the top section, cut a piece of ribbon long enough to go around the pencil holder. This is where the rubber bands come in handy because they help hold the ribbon in place.

23.) Place a dot of hot glue on one end of the ribbon and secure the other end to the glue.

24.) Continue to cover the rubber bands with ribbon, layering ribbon as you like.

25.) Tie bows and glue to each section where there is a ribbon band.

26.) Glue the gerber daises to the bows and add the pencils to the pencil holder.

And there you have it...your very own school supply cake! I'd love to see your creations. You can e-mail them to me at leighanne@elmore.rr.com

I have been teaching elementary for the past 11 years and I can't wait to make this for my own son's teacher!!! I do understand that some teachers may have access to unlimited school supplies, but most do not. I also want to put out the idea that you could add different supplies based upon the age of the students. I teach 4th and 5th grade so I am in constant need of sharpie markers, wipe-off markers and hand santizers. If you look at your child's school supply list that would be a great starting point at what your teacher's child uses.

I too am sorry that someone would take offense to receiving this adorable cake as a gift. I have 3 grown children who are all in the teaching profession and they would love to receive this as a gift. School budgets have been cut everywhere in this country and teachers pay out of their pockets for many of the supplies they need. I will be making some of these this weekend to give to some local teachers in my school system as an appreciation gift for them. Thank you so much for the adorable gift idea.

I think it's absolutely horrible that people would post negative comments. Good thing you didn't receive this as a gift!! GEESH! I think it's absolutely adorable! As always, it's the thought that counts and I think WAY more thought and creatively was put into this beautiful cake than just buying a coffee mug or gift card. As my momma always said, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. How dare you put discouraging comments on here, shame on you!

Midway through the school year many teachers ask parents to send in supplies that they are short on. That would be a great time to provide them with this creative supplies cake. You can alter the cake using the specific items they requested. Not only will they get the supplies they need, but it will also bring a smile to their faces, which can be greatly needed months through the school year. I can't wait to make one for my kids' teachers!

FABULOUS IDEA! Taught school for many years and bought more school supplies for the classroom than I've ever bought for my own daughter. I think any teacher (especially an elementary school teacher) would love to receive this!

As a new teacher, I have seen how fast kids go through school supplies in both elementary and middle school. Teachers pay SO MUCH MONEY out of their pockets, so any little bit helps! Also, a gift is not mandatory. This is so thoughtful and clearly takes effort to create. Any teacher should be 100% grateful to receive something like this. :)

I love this idea and I just found your post/tutorial. I pinned it and it is being repinned like a wild fire. I plan to make one for my son's Kinder teacher next year and my sister when she begins teaching next year as a new teacher.

I am flabbergasted. It is apparent that some of these people leaving comments on here must come from a place where money must grow on trees for them and their school district. I student taught with a teacher that bought everything on this precious "cake" out of her own pocket. Some/most schools do NOT have an endless closet full of supplies to run to when you need something for a child who cannot afford it themselves. Like it has been stated, there are many ways to alter this "cake" to better meet the needs of a specific teacher (example: Sharpies instead of Crayons). Also, who is to say that she did not inquire from the teacher what kinds of supplies that she is needing and then decided to give it to her in a "cutesy" and "crafty" way. I do not know one teacher in my area that would ever find this gift to be degrading or disrespectful in any way. I also don't know a school-aged kid that would like to receive this as a gift (they are more into toys, not glue). I am very surprised that someone would even say something negative about this anyway. OK, I am done now. That just hit a nerve.

Such a great idea! I have made a couple of Diaper cakes, when I saw this I thought to myself Why didnt I think of that! LOL instead of a Paper Towel for the center Im going to use Lysol Wipes, or a Giant bottle of Germ-X, as a teacher can never have to many of those! Keep up the great work!

I am an elementary school teacher and would have been so pleased to receive a gift like this! For those teachers who feel it shows disrespect, wow. I feel for you if you get offended that easily, I would feel encouraged that a parent thought enough of me to spend the time to make such a thoughtful gift. Having taught K-4th grade, I would have been able to use everything on this "cake". It would also make a great display until the supplies were needed. If only teachers could run to a supply closet to get what they needed - wishful thinking these days!

Thanks so much for the step-by-step directions! As a former teacher I think this is a WONDERFUL, thoughtful gift! So often I had to go pick up these sort of supplies part way through the school year (glue sticks & pencils don't seem to last like they use to). I know of no schools in my area that have a "supply closet" for these sort of things for their teachers except maybe the private schools. In fact, at the beginning of every school year, the teachers put up "wish lists" of these sort of things to help stock their classrooms. I am shocked at the negative responses! There are some very ungrateful people out there. :(

I feel this is a perfect gift for a teacher, and the ideas are limitless as to what you can add. Teachers in my opinion are grossly under paid and yet they still take from their own pockets to supply children with items that they have either ran out of or could not afford to purchase. I am going to be making these for my children's teachers and adding a personal touch by the addition of a gift card to some place that they like be it coffee or food. Then they will have extra supplies and a little treat for personal use :) Great tutorial!!

As a 5-12 ESL teacher, this would be an awesome gift. In our state, K-6 teachers are guaranteed (some) money to buy things for their classroom, but 7+ teachers get no guaranteed money. We still use folders, index cards, post its, and other things already mentioned. Very creative and thoughtful!

I wish I'd thought of this! As a PPCD Teacher I would be absolutely thrilled to get this from a student. Yes, I spend a lot of my own money throughout the year on supplies my students can't afford.With budget cuts rampant, I can't imagine a teacher who would not want this. I plan on making this for my daughter's grad party when she gets her degree in Elementary Ed. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing.

I honestly have to tell you, that of all the School Supply Cakes ideas I've googled, your cake is my fav. And your clear directions are awesome! Thanks for sharing your ideas. My sons teacher is going to love this for one of her teacher appreciation gifts!

I have made this as a centerpiece to go in our teacher's lounge for teacher appreciation week!! We will then draw a name out and give the cake to the lucky winner!! Thanks for your great tutorial - made it sooooo easy to put together!

Fantastic idea! Where I live teachers send notes home at the beginning of the school year asking parents to donate these exact items to the class, so they are obviously needed and very much appreciated! I can't think of a single teacher who wouldn't love being presented with this...except maybe those who shouldn't be teaching! In fact for teacher appreciation week this year, they asked the children to bring various items for their teacher each day of the week such as a picture they drew, the teachers favorite treat and yes A SCHOOL SUPPLY! Why on earth would they ask for this when they can just 'go to the supply closet'?!?!? Most teachers purchase school supplies with their own money and appreciate anything that is given to them! I'm making one for my sons teacher this weekend! I'm sure she'll love it!

I am so excited to make this cake! My daughter's teachers have all asked for supplies like this. They have no "supply cupboard" to raid, so they purchase many of these items on their own. I've sent things like safety scissors, gluesticks, and pencils frequently, and most other teachers I know say they wish my daughter was in their class so they could get supplies sent that they need as well! Thank you so much fo the great idea! :)

My daughter attends private school. I would like to say that teachers there do not have an unlimited closet to go to for supplies. Their salaries are also less than those in public schools. They ask parents for classroom items at the beginning of the year and mid year. As room mom we also have a bake sale once a year from bake items donated by the children. 100% of the profit is split between the teachers for that grade level (there is two 4th grade teachers). They use that money for school supplies and items needed for the classrooms. There a lot of occasions where this could be given including Teacher appreciation week. It does not mean it is to be given only as a gift for a birthday. Of course, it would still be a a great idea. Depending on your family's income you could add extras like gift cards like previously mentioned. Every year I try to send something for the teacher as a find them on sale...paper towels, tissues, etc. This is an awesome idea for packaging it all together as a thank you for for all they do vs. a small thank you note.

I, too, do not teach in a school district where supplies are unlimited. Statistically, teachers spend an average of $350 on classroom supplies each year out of their own pockets. Great idea. Do not be discouraged by those who are offended. Apparently, they work in a district where money is thrown at them

I made these tonight for my kids' teachers (both have b-days within a couple of weeks of each other). I don't even know if I will be able to sleep tonight, I'm so excited to give it to her tomorrow! Hahaha Thanks for the great instructions!!!!

As a teacher in a diverse urban area I would be thrilled to receive such a thoughtful, adorable and useful gift! The families I work with struggle to financially meet the day to day needs of their children, although many try with all of their might. I have spent from $250-$1000 each of my 12 years of my own money to purchase school supplies for my students and necessary teaching supplies to make learning meaningful. This gift is amazing... it would be cherished by many teachers and staff members that I work with. It shows appreciation, recognizes need and touches the hearts of those who receive it! It helps teachers, who teach with all of their heart and mind, do what they do best. Thank you for sharing your creative gift. I look forward to making it with my boys for their teachers.

I was shocked that some found this gift to be an insult. While it may not be completely useful it's completely adorable, and really it's nicer then a bouquet of flowers. I don't think it was about the glue sticks and if you think it was I think you missed the point. I guess if you have a self righteous, judgmental teacher then this would not be the gift for them, and God help the children they teach with their bitter ugly view of their entitlement. I am fortunate enough to have LOVELY teachers for my children who would see the point to this adorable creative gift. Thank you so much for sharing.

I think this is an absolutely wonderful idea, and it has been passed around blogs/facebook, etc. We have an absolute gem of a teacher for our 2nd grader this year. Her husband has recently been diagnosed with cancer, and she (on a teacher's salary) is the sole breadwinner for her family right now. I can't stomach the idea of her having to spend one dime for school supplies for her students whose parents either can't or don't care. We've been receiving requests for donations since February. This is a great way to meet her needs.

What a fabulous idea. I just completed 3 cakes this week for Teacher Appreciation!! The teachers were in tears when they saw them. We also used it to display gift cards that were donated as gifts. For the center section that holds the pencils I cut a 16oz water bottle just a little shorter than the glue stick height and it worked great. Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial. You made it very easy!!

This is wonderful and I am going to make one for my own daughter who is a 1st grade teacher. Every year I watch her spend more and more money out of her own pocket to pay for these items for her children in her class. Shame on the people who made negative comments not everyone has the supply closet to get these basic items for their students. My daughter will be thrilled and show the cake off to all her fellow teachers I am sure!

I love this!!! I teach Algebra and Geometry at a high school. These supplies are amazing for project based learning. Just Friday I was in much need of crayons and glue. I'm going to make one for a fellow teacher who is throwing me a bridal shower in Tuesday. I'm trying to think of how I can add rulers or protractors. I'm so excited!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I'm going to have to make one years from now for my future child's teacher :-)

Absolutely love it! I will be making this for the teachers on my team, and one for my son's teacher as well. As a teacher, I LOVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES! and there is never too many to have, ignore all the negative comments! You are truly talented and kind to make this instead of just buying the teacher something! THANKS FOR THE TUTORIAL!!

I love this... we are going to make 3 for our back to school welcome of our teachers as give-a-ways, being on PTSO we are always looking for ideas. This was voted top of the list! Thank you for the inspiration!!

I wish I would have came across this during the school year! My son's preschool teachers were awesome and I tried to donate supplies as I could. Granted they wouldn't need something like the notebooks in preschool or kindergarten, it's easily modified to fit the needs. I honestly can not think of why someone would be INSULTED to receive something like this?! I am not even a teacher and if someone made this for me, I would LOVE IT! People need to remove heads from certain body parts and maybe tilt their noses down a bit while they're at it. Anyway, beautiful and thoughtful idea, thank you for sharing!

Thank you so much for the great (and easy) tutorial! I am making one of these each for two of my kids teachers as a back to school gift! In our district the teachers often have to pay out of pocket for supplies and on a teachers salary-well that isn't always possible! Rather then it being thought of as a gift for the teacher why not think of it as a gift for YOUR CHILD'S classroom?!?! Sheesh people. Sorry you received negative comments! Often midway thru the year donations are sought in classrooms and this is my way of doing classroom donations early on! Maybe the supplies will last past Christmas!

Add me to the list of folks who love this!! I'm going through my son's 1st Grade Supply List, I think I'll make a "cake" out of the supplies he has to bring with him for the first day of school. It's not much, being 1st Grade and all, and it might not be a layer cake, it might be more like a cupcake (LOL), but anything will be more fun than just stuffing his backback. So, it won't be a teacher gift, just a fun way to start the year for my kiddo!

The people posting negative comments are seriously outnumbered, thank goodness! As a former teacher, I can't even fathom that someone would think this was an insulting gift! This is exactly the creativity I always enjoyed in gifts from parents and students! And if I didn't need the supplies immediately, I'd have loved to have this on my desk! What a cheerful visual to have everyday! Every teacher I know spends personal money on supplies like the ones in your cake. It's nice when parents send "extra" supplies, but even nicer when they do it in such a beautiful format! I feel sorry for the people who put negative comments and am so grateful there are people like you who are so positive and give so much to your teachers!!

I love this idea so much! I just made a supply cake following your tutorial and I am thrilled with how it turned out! I plan to give it away at the Back-to-School teacher luncheon. Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea.

I just made 6 cakes- one for each member of my department as a "Welcome Back to School" gift! I think they will love them. What teacher doesn't like school supplies? Too many teachers invest their own money...this is a way to share supplies with the students. A great character trait!

I am a teacher of 23 years and I think this would be a fablous gift. In fact, I am going to make one for myself. Your idea was right on target and I am willing to bet that the teacher loved it! I can't wait for my students to see it because they will think it is so cool. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial. Many of my teacher friends have made one for their classrooms...sooo soooo cute!

This is beyond amazing! As a 5th grade teacher (at a private school), I buy lots of school supplies with my own money (and without asking parents). If someone was to show up on my doorstep (or classroom step) with this cake, I would probably burst into tears, take 7 pictures and tweet/instagram about it! That said, I'm making one for the new teacher in my wing this year! Thank you so much for posting the step-by-step tutorial! Everything is so cheap at Target these days that I can't wait to stock up! Thanks again!!!

I am shocked that someone posted a mean comment about this project. Any parent who bothers to do anything for a teacher, has shown how much they value that teacher. It truly is the thought that counts, and you cared enough to remember a teacher. Any teacher who didn't need the supplies could simply display this as a classroom decoration. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much for this idea. My daughter and I are making this for a back to school bash at our church. It will be the centerpiece and then will be given away as a door prize. I sure hope the lady who was ugly about this craft is retiring this year. The schools have enough problems to deal with without adding teacher attitudes to the mix. It was so kind of you to share your idea with us, sorry you had to deal with someone so negative.

I think this is beautiful! One idea, for a younger grade, what about using inexpensive books instead of the notebooks? My family already purchases the 99 cent books from the scholastic flyers for donation. If you planned ahead of time, you could have plenty in time for Christmas or teacher appreciation. This would help add to the reading closet too!

I wanted to let you know that we made one, and your tutorial is fantastic! Here is the link to the blog post: http://www.mydevotionalthoughts.com/2012/08/open-house-gift-for-my-daughters-teacher.html

I have to say that I have absolutely no idea how teachers could not want something like this!! I was a teacher, and I know that any teacher with whom I have worked would have loved this! I found this initially on pinterest, and I can hardly wait to give it to my daughter's teacher tomorrow night!

This is so awesome! Wish I would have found it sooner. Totally going to be making one of these for my sons' teachers next year, the school year is almost done for us this year, but definitly going to make one for next year!

I saw this GREAT idea and made a variation of it as a centerpiece for a going away party for one of my fellow educators. Thanks for sharing! I teach 3rd grade and can say I'd love to receive this as a gift!!!

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Your idea lives on! What a great tutorial and gift idea. I made one today for our grandkids as a send off for back to school! They loved it. I posted it on my blog and linked your tutorial back to you. You have a wonderful ability to explain how you made it. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together! Loved it! Thank you so very much! You can see it here: I will be making another one as a gift for three more grandkids next week. http://quakerhomecottage.blogspot.com/2016/08/back-to-school-and-party-cake.html

I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Michael, for twelve years. We have three beautiful children, Georgia Anne, Jack,and Daniel. I am an interior designer by profession, but am most proud to be a stay-at-home mom. Michael and I own and operate 1300 WTLS and 106.5FM in Tallassee as well as TallasseeTimes.com, an on-line newspaper. I hope you enjoy reading about our daily adventures!